Evashan Maistry-Thavar
Full Name
Evashan Maistry-Thavar
Position
Training Manager-African NDT Centre/ Vice Chair – SPBNDT
What sparked your interest in NDT?
My uncle worked for an NDT company in Durban. When I was younger I would go to his offices and play with a UT machine, I had no idea what was happening but the echoes looked really cool.
- How did you begin your career in NDT?
I started as a UT assistant under Kurt Selling at High Profile Inspection Authority in Durban.
- Person who has the biggest influence on your life?
My mother, my father passed away when I was 20 and my mother has kept me on the right path ever since.
- Person who has the biggest influence on your NDT career?
This is a toss-up between my uncle Raj Kistiah who introduced me to NDT, Kurt Selling who took the time to teach me when I first got into NDT and Hannes Barnard who inspired me to pursue my level 3s.
- What are your current qualifications?
MT/PT/UT/VT PCN L2 and 3.
RT/PAUT/TOFD SNT-TC-1A L2.
- Which method do you enjoy most and why?
UT, it is what I started with and with the continuous advancements in the advanced methods it seems as if we will always have even more to discover and learn about.
- What industries or sectors have you been involved in?
I have predominantly been involved in the Petrochemical industry, after joining ANDTc I have been exposed to the Aviation sector and as a consultant I have the opportunity of getting involved in every sector that my clients are involved in.
- What major projects have you been involved in?
- Various major shutdowns
- Transfer lines project (IVS)
- Construction of an LNG plant in Angola
- Specialist and member of the Working Group at the BRICS world skills development challenge.
- What are your biggest challenges in NDT?
Trying to mould the minds of every student that enters through our doors and show them that NDT is about more than chasing shutdowns and getting hours, if done correctly it can become a wonderful and rewarding career.
- Most humorous NDT incident that you can remember
Calling my supervisor just after 12 in the morning on Christmas day and screaming “the source is out and we’ve lost it” then joke and say, “tomato sauce, go back to bed”, it was just a joke, there was no incident, it was payback for having to work Christmas eve.
Disclaimer: Radiation is not a joke and safety should be our number 1 priority.
- What legacy would you like to leave in the industry?
My students going out into the industry, working hard and correctly and making a legacy of their own IS my legacy.
- Hope for the future
That NDT will be recognised in South Africa for the vital role it plays in almost every key sector.
- A must-visit NDT website that you recommend?
www.andtc.com obviously 😉
Keith Cain
Q & A with SAINT President Keith Cain
Full Name
Keith Crichton Cain
Position
Owner of:
- Chimaera Inspection Services (NDT Service Provider and Level 3 Advisory)
- Kuzizwa Centre (NDT Experiential Learning)
Current President of SAINT
- What sparked your interest in NDT?
See Paragraph 2 below.
- How did you begin your career in NDT?
While serving in the Air Force, our Officer Commanding informed my colleagues and I that our Armament section was going to be de-commissioned. We were given a choice: transfer to the Army, to AFB Louis Trichardt or to the units’ NDT section. I chose the NDT section by default as I did not want to leave Pretoria and that we were also told that the chances were greater in finding NDT employment outside of the SAAF.
- Person who has the biggest influence on your life?
Our Creator and my wife, Annatjie.
- Person who has the biggest influence on your NDT career?
There have been those who I have regarded as my mentors and are now deceased: Graham Goodman, Lew Wells, Eric Guest and George Murray. There have been others in the past and many at present, young and not so young who are still influencing my career – technicians, Saint council members, Level 3’s, equipment/consumable suppliers, training school staff and my sons to name a few.
- What are your current qualifications?
ET, RT, MT, PT L2
UT L1
ASNT L3 MT & PT
ACCP L3 MT & PT
- Which method do you enjoy most and why?
Magnetic Particle: I have the most experience hours in MT! This method seems pretty straight forward and simple to apply at first, but there is always some sort of Achilles heel. Material permeability and the ensuring of sufficient field strength can prove to be quite challenging at times. ET is also very enjoyable and I wish that I could of have gained a lot more experience with it.
- What industries or sectors have you been involved in?
Varying degrees of Pre & In-service (welds, castings and forgings): Aviation, Power Generation, Petrochemical, Rail, Civil Construction, Mining, Packaging, Food and Beverage, Telecommunications, Automobile, Formwork, Lifting Equipment, Material Handling, HVAC and Transport.
- What major projects have you been involved in?
Sasol Wax, Sasolburg
Project Jaldi, SAB Rosslyn
Komati Power Station (RTS)
New Control Tower, Lanseria Airport
Furnace Rebuilds, Lonmin Platinum
4 x SASOL Shutdowns
- What are your biggest challenges in NDT?
One challenge is not knowing everything there is to know in NDT and allocating sufficient time for research and experimentation.
Another is convincing potential customers of the real value that proper NDT can bring to the party.
One more, is having to refrain from physically ‘correcting’ a person who thinks he has done a good NDT job when it is clearly evident that he had no idea of what he was doing or, shows no passion and respect towards NDT. Technicians who don’t read prescribed procedures, inspection speed freaks………
- Most humorous NDT incident that you can remember
Before I even started my career in NDT, as an armourer we had to checks hundreds of pistol slides for cracks. After we were shown how to use a MPI bench, a colleague adjusted the coil shot duration in order to enable us to inspect the slides in a shorter time (by shortening the duty cycle). Soon the cable-to-coil connector fastener started to glow bright red which then subsequently became fused to the bolt. The regular NDT guys weren’t impressed at all.
Another time we were asked to perform ET on a helicopter oil cooler turbine shaft while it was still attached to the ‘chopper. One of the flight engineers asked us to be exercise caution as we had apparently magnetised the entire aircraft during a previous visit.
- What legacy would you like to leave in the industry?
I would like to be recognised as one of the individuals who contributed towards the successful implementation and acceptance of the SAINT Professional Body with the ensuing Professional Designation of a NDT technician becoming the mandatory if not statutory requirement for all levels of NDT personnel in South Africa.
Hope for the future
It is my hope that NDT becomes widely known and utilised properly in South Africa as well as internationally. Poor quality of NDT workmanship and ethics must be eradicated with due credit being given to those who are producing first class results.
All end users need to cease their acceptance of sub-standard work just for economic reasons or choosing to use the cheapest sub-contractor without the verification of their credentials.
Our technicians, including their employers need to become prouder of what they do, to cultivate our unique values and principles that can be handed down to the next generation.
Remaining within the industry to witness the full registration of a SA NDT ‘Trade’ would be awesome too.
- A must-visit NDT website that you recommend?
saint,org.za
ndt.net
techstreet.com
qualitymag.com
Grant Meredith
Q&A with The Owner of Pulse Inspection Services. Grant Meredith
- Person who has the biggest influence on your life?
Dr Wilfred Kent, a missionary from the USA who devoted his life to missionary work in South Africa. I have spent a lot of time with him doing Bible study and learning Biblical counselling from him. He does a lot of good work in South Africa and on a personal level, I have learned a lot from him about being a father and a husband, as well as living as a Christian. - Person who has the biggest influence on your NDT career?
I have the utmost respect for those who have dedicated their careers to the advancement of NDT, as well as those who have flown the NDT banner high. I was fortunate enough to work for an NDT stalwart at British Airways at the end of his NDT career. His name is Harold Halls, and he was instrumental in the development of the Barkhausen noise NDT technique on undercarriage parts from Concorde through the Airbus and Boeing aircraft series. He was one of those who worked behind the scenes and never took credit for the hours of input and development of the method.He was a mentor who gave me a passion for quality and drive in my choice of NDT as a career.There are other people career – back home in South Africa – who have also had a big influence on my career:From the start of my career André Aspeling taught me that doing the job right, neatly and safely was paramount to conducting NDT.From development and research as well as dedication to our industry, I hold Manfred Johannes in extremely high esteem.
Ben Beetge is someone I look up to and respect. He stands out for me as someone to aspire to as an NDT Level III.
- How did you begin your career in NDT?
I started working NDT in late 1989, working as an “appie” at Unit Inspection in Wadeville. I started out working for Andre Fouché and then Dries de Bruin. I was fresh out of the army with the world at my feet. I met many interesting characters in those times. And I tell friends and family many interesting facts and stories of daily life at Wadeville in those days. It was quite an eye opener for me, as some of the conditions that we worked under, or were expected to work under, were quite difficult, but this certainly added to the wealth of experience that can be shared with the new generation of NDT technicians whose paths I cross. Safety regulations have tightened up somewhat since then and the whole outlook on NDT from a quality stand point has changed – which is great to see.I was introduced to NDT through a friend’s mother, as an interim way to make some money as a young man without a clue of what career path I wanted to purse. This “job” was just to create a little nest egg until I could find what I wanted to do with my life and then move on. So here I am a quarter of a century later and still loving it! How many of us in NDT have uttered those words, and still we find out years later we are still in the world of NDT. I must say though, I really enjoy what I do and am like many others who introduce their sons into NDT as well. - What are your current qualifications?
MT Level III PCN
PT Level III PCN
ET Level III PCNMT Level III Airbus
PT Level III Airbus
UT Level III AirbusMT Level III ASNT
PT Level III ASNT
UT Level III ASNT
ET Level III ASNT
RT Level III ASNTMT Level III EN4179/NAS410 (independent NANDTB accredited)
PT Level III EN4179/NAS410 (independent NANDTB accredited)
UT metallics Level III EN4179/NAS410 (independent NANDTB accredited)
UT composites Level III EN4179/NAS410 (independent NANDTB accredited)ET Level III EN4179/NAS410 (independent NANDTB accredited)
IR/ thermography Level III ISO 18436-7
EMAT trainer (Level III does not yet exist)
Phased Array Level II PCN
TOFD Level II (PCN training) - Which Method do you enjoy most and why?
I have a passion for Electromagnetic Testing. The applications of this method are so diverse, there is so much unchartered territory as the applications for use increases. It is finding its way into most industrial sectors – where the initial progress and development was for the aerospace industry. Modern development has found confidence in this method because of applications on permeable materials. Previous inconsistencies on ferromagnetic materials precluded eddy current inspections – except where magnetic saturation techniques could be employed.Advancements in techniques like SLOFEC (Saturated Low Frequency Eddy Current), Eddy Current Arrays, ACFM (Alternating Field Current Measurement) etc. are certainly creating some interesting advancements in the capabilities of the Electromagnetic Testing Technique in terms of material testing as well as the depth of detected defects. - What Industries or Sectors have you been involved in?
Aerospace
Oil & Gas
Paper mill
Pipelines
Mining
Shipping
Petrochemical
Power generation
Nuclear - What are your biggest challenges in NDT?
For me there has always been an issue between production and NDT. Whether in a manufacturing or in-service inspection industries, the balance between productivity and quality has always posed challenges. Production will always pressurise the inspection process to ensure deadlines are met, when minimum time is often given to a quality inspection process - Most humorous NDT incident that you can remember?
During the early 1990s, Adrian Crozier (a colleague) and I were conducting a fluorescent magnetic particle inspection inside an LPG storage vessel in the town of Warmbaths. It was in the heat of the day and we were both inside the vessel in the dark. So picture the scene: it must have been 35°C outside, so it was baking inside this dark vessel, which we could not stand up in. We were spraying fluorescent Magnetic Particle ink inside this vessel, our rubber safety boots were slipping all over the place. Extension cables for yoke and the lamps were tripping us up. Added to this the UV lamp got so hot that every now and then your ear got burned by your inspection buddy moving the light closer for you to see your inspection area. Not to mention that at this point even the slightest bump to the UV lamp made the vapour arc go out and that would be the end of inspection work until the lamp cooled down. (The joys of NDT!).So we were inspecting the dome weld on the dish end, obviously kneeling/squatting and slipping and we are virtually shoulder to shoulder with each other, Adrian with the yoke and the spray and me holding the lamp (with hands burning on the handle) and me burning Adrian’s cheeks and ears with the filter of the lamp. While all the time, breathing in the paraffin vapours in this small vessel without extraction sweating and slipping all over the place.All of a sudden, Adrian bumped his forehead on the thermocouple (luckily it did not put his eye out), He got such a fright that he hit at the thermocouple with the tin of 8530. Now, bearing in mind we were in pitch dark he hit the thermocouple dead centre into the base of the spray can. And the spray can exploded. In the dark not knowing what had happened, we both scrambled away and out.Within seconds, we had both made it through the manhole simultaneously and were standing outside in the heat of the day unscratched.Our eyes were as big as saucers as we both stood there in silence for a few moments contemplating what had happened. And in shock that we were still alive. After a few moments and each knocking back a 1 litre Coke in seconds, we investigated – both from a humorous and safety perspective – what had happened! We had a good laugh at the whole situation. - Hope for the future?I am part of the BBC (Born Before Computers) group of technology-challenged people, so in terms of advanced computers as well as computer and phone applications, it is and will be interesting to see how the technology advancement continues into NDT. I would love to see how many “apps” can be developed in the NDT field. Certainly as those youngsters with NDT experience as well as technology knowledge, can certainly bring these two together and we can expect some major leaps forward in inspections as we know them.
- A must-visit NDT website that you recommend?Ndt-ed.org is an interactive educational NDT website that the creators have encouraged trainers and students to use as a basis for beginner NDT learning as well as intermediate and interactive learning.
Hannes Barnard
Hannes Barnard: Business Development Manager – ANDTC.
How did you come up with the idea of Inspector EISH?
My colleagues and I wanted to create a cartoon character with tips and funny snippets that was really made for the NDT guys. The British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT) created a similar character called “Inspector Hector “ and we just decided to create something that was South African. I give credit to Keith Cain for the appearance of Inspector EISH as he was involved in the design.What is the idea behind the “Extremely Important Super Hero” better known as Inspector EISH?
We wanted to create a typical NDT guy who makes mistakes and learns from those mistakes, and who shares them with others. EISH is something that comes into play when the mistake is made. When Inspector EISH was originally created he had no real race or language, he was just an ordinary NDT guy. EISH does not have a future or a past. He is the present and deals with the present! The big thing with Inspector EISH Is that we did not want to include technical information with an article because nobody reads anymore, we wanted to make the information accessible. Inspector EISH is like Bart Simpson – he never gets old!
What do you think about Inspector EISH having his own female counterpart?
I think it’s a great idea! He should definitely have a female partner, someone who will speak to everyone and not only women in NDT. She should give general tips; like how to remove penetrant from clothing and explore issues such as; should RT and UT technicians have the same diets? How do you handle a weekend away without Inspector EISH? NDT is a niche market and nobody knows about it until you get involved in it. Hopefully this female character will open another side to our industry.What is the relationship between NDT and the general public?
NDT touches absolutely everything in everybody’s life, every day. I always joke with people by saying we think prostitution is the oldest industry but it’s actually not; it’s NDT. Think about it: Genesis is pretty much the oldest book that anybody knows. God created something and he saw that it was good, so the first NDT done was done by God himself!What does NDT mean to you?
We are the hidden heroes of NDT. In fact everybody does NDT every day; you put on your watch this morning because the strap worked and the time was correct. You needed to make sure the little window wasn’t cracked, so you inspected it. Before drinking your coffee, you made sure the milk wasn’t sour or that there was a fly floating in the cup. NDT just takes it to another level of inspection.We as humans like to have the best things so we inspect but what we can’t inspect, we get someone else to do. One would expect an NDT guy to run checks on their car breaks, the next time you jump on a plane you would hope an NDT guy inspected the engine. So we really are the ‘hidden heroes’ that is what NDT is.
What is the general role of NDT guys?
One of the quotes I like from American Industrialist Henry Ford is; “Quality is doing the right thing when no one is looking”. NDT guys are always working when nobody is looking. We are a strange group of people doing strange work!What is your response, when asked what NDT is?
If somebody were to ask me; what is your role in NDT? I would say it is similar to someone fracturing an arm and goes to hospital for an X-ray or a pregnant woman who goes to a doctor for a scan. I do the same thing on steel; we look for cracks and the things that aren’t supposed to be there.Are there any interesting discussions that happen in the workshop?
We call them ‘fights’ or ‘quarrels’, but they can become heated and big because everybody gets emotional! Everybody believes they are entitled to an opinion or to get angry. The guys don’t really back down, but it’s not about who needs to be right, it’s really just that they believe what they doing for the industry is the best.What are some of the Challenges faced in NDT?
Qualifications are a big issue, there is the question of which are the best? There are different qualifications like the SANDE qualification, ANDT qualification, and the Welding Instituteis qualification. Deciding on which is the best qualification can be similar to saying; which is better – a Rolls Royce, Ferrari or a Toyota Land Cruiser? It depends how fast you want to drive, what you want to transport, where you want to go and how many people you wish to transport? The same goes for qualifications, there is no qualification that suits everyone. There’s no qualification that can apply to all fields, each one has its own importance. There should be competition, keeping in mind that it is expensive to do NDT, but students know that they get a return on their investment.What is your opinion on the application of NDT in Higher Education Institutes?
I like this building the way it is! As soon as you regulate training, you regulate what you can charge for the training, you regulate what people can earn. NDT is not regulated and many individuals in the industry don’t support this, as they prefer everyone to be paid the same. The earnings of an individual should be in line with his/her experience and qualifications. An NDT person goes through a six month course and then two to three years of industry, training compared to a university student studies for three years and spends way less on their qualification than an NDT person.What is the affordability of NDT training in South Africa?
NDT training in South Africa is expensive compared to a university qualification. NDT however, is cheaper in South Africa compared to the rest of the world. I would really like to see NDT training become more affordable. The more NDT we add to the system, the more value to NDT will add in South Africa.What is the demand for NDT in South Africa?
There is roughly a figure of 40 Level III Technicians in South Africa. A number of NDT technicians are in demand; locally and internationally.Who has inspired you in the industry?
For many years there have been a handful of level III NDT Technicians in South Africa. I admire people like Amanda van der Westhuizen from General Electrics (GE) and look to for advice. She taught me to do things the right way, ‘the Amanda way’. Whether I liked it or not, she has made me to what I am today. Wherever Amanda goes she influences people with her outspoken personality and her vast amount of knowledge.How did you discover NDT?
I was studying through UNISA at the time. My dad was working for a construction company. He was given a contract in Zambia, I accompanied him as a tea boy and in my free time I helped an NDT man sort out films. Three months later the NDT man needed a new tea boy and I was given the opportunity to be his assistant. About a year later I worked in Secunda for over a year, and then I worked for a unit inspection for eight years. Later on I did freelancing where I was introduced to ANDTC. Six months after doing training at ANDTC I was offered the opportunity to work for the company for the past 10 years.What do you like about NDT?
NDT is good to me, I like the people and the technology. I have had my fair share of experiences and working with expensive technology is what I like most. The amount of experienced gained equals the amount of equipment you break.What do you like least about NDT?
Having cold pizza and working away from home. There isn’t much that I don’t like about NDT. Petrochemical Testing is the most demanding testing in NDT.Who has played a big role in your career?
Hennie Fourie, ANDTC’s General Manager, has played the biggest role to my career in NDT. After him I would say my biggest supporters outside NDT would be my wife and father. They have blindly supported me and have driven me to be the person I am today.What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Fishing in Botswana or travelling. My favourite holiday destination is Durban.What is your opinion on SAINT’s representation of NDT in South Africa?
SAINT is playing a great role in the industry as they are creating more exposure for NDT and expressing industry opinions on several key issues.What is your opinion of women being exposed to NDT?
There should be more women in NDT, women should know that they are allowed to be anywhere and to do what they find interesting. NDT has been male dominated for many years and it’s now open to everyone.Apart from hard work, what is the secret to being successful in NDT?
Never accepting no for an answer.
PAT GARLAND
Person who has the biggest influence on your NDT career?
Mike Shakinovsky a corporate Level III NDT consultant at Sikorsky and Charles Hellier, the founder of Hellier Technical and Training.How did you begin your career in NDT?
My career began with my transfer to The Corner House Laboratories after Crown Mines closed in 1971.What are your current qualifications?
ASNT NDT Level III: MT, PT, UT, RT, ET, VT.Which Method do you enjoy most and why?
Ultrasonic Testing – finding the unseen!What Industries or Sectors have you been involved in?
Rail, Aviation, Power Generation, Pipe-lines, General Fabrication, Oil & Gas, Well Drilling , Equipment Sales and Training.What are your biggest challenges in NDT?
Reliability and the integrity of people.Most humorous NDT incident that you can remember?
Getting stuck in the mud in a Landrover on a pipeline and having to be pulled out by a bulldozer.Hope for the future?
That emerging technologies become more affordable in order to be adopted by the industry.A ‘must visit’ NDT website that you recommend and why you recommend it?
There are many websites, all with useful information. It depends on what specific application you are looking at.
Johan Gerber
Johan started his NDT career in July 1981 as an NDT trainee in the Gauteng area. He joined SAINT in 1985 as a member and was elected to the SAINT Council in 1991. He served as President of SAINT for two years (1997–1998) and is currently the Honourary Treasurer as Executive Member of the Institute since 1999. His motto has always been that “good NDT adds value”.
In July 1984 Johan founded an NDT service company which was sold in May 2013 to an international company – DEKRA. Since then he has been with DEKRA as the Operations Manager. The current service range of DEKRA Industrial South Africa offers conventional and advanced NDT operations, as well as welding inspections to industries such as the petrochemical, power generation, transport, mining, and manufacturing fields in South Africa and Sub-Sahara Africa.
Zanele Mgiba
Zanele is a member of SAINT and holds the SAQCC NDT Level II qualification in Ultrasonic (UT), Radiography Testing (RT), Penetrant Testing (PT) and Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI). She is currently studying towards an M.Eng. in Welding Engineering with Wits University.
Her working career embraces Rotek Engineering – Eskom Industries, with 16 years of experience in various industries including research industry CSIR, SCAW Metals in castings and forgings, and involvement with institutions like WITS Technikon and VU. Zanele currently performs NDT inspection work and also plays an important role as an NDT Process Planner and Estimator.
Simon Wilding
Simon Wilding is certified to Level 3 in both ASNT and ISO 9712 (SAQCC), with more than 20 years of experience in the Inspection and NDT environments. In that time he has gained valuable knowledge in the power generation, petro-chemical, nuclear, rail and general industries; working with various codes, standards and specifications.
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